Zimbabwe cricket team arrives at the Allama Iqbal International airport, Lahore early on Tuesday. PHOTO: PCB
The traffic was suspended on the road which leads from the hotel to the stadium.
Earlier in the morning, the Zimbabwe team became the first full international cricket team to visit Pakistan for a bilateral cricket series in six years after players arrived at the Lahore airport early on Tuesday morning.
Subhan Ahmed, the chief operating officer of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that this tour will set a precedent and give other (international cricket) teams the confidence to visit Pakistan.
PHOTO: PCB
"We are thankful to Zimbabwe Cricket for taking this leap of faith, and trusting us," Ahmed said, adding that the PCB had been trying for a while to get international teams to visit Pakistan, with Bangladesh coming close in 2012.
The PCB COO said that they will provide Zimbabwe cricketers opportunities which they were not getting right now.
The Zimbabwe players then boarded a special bus which drove them to their hotel.
PHOTO: PCB
There were doubts whether the five-match tour would go ahead after the massacre of 45 Shias in an attack on a bus in Karachi last week.
However, Zimbabwe arrived at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore early on Tuesday where they are scheduled to play two Twenty20 and three one-day internationals amid massive security at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Views on the tour are mixed with Sri Lanka-born Zimbabwe coach Dav Whatmore upbeat.
"I appreciate the significance of this tour to Pakistan and I am happy to go," he told Zimbabwe radio.
Looking fwd to returning to Pakistan as opposition coach and reacquainting with friends. Team zim are & will be working hard for a win!
— Dav Whatmore (@dfwhatmore) May 17, 2015
Meanwhile, Pakistan-born batsman Sikandar Raza Bakht took to Twitter to express his enthusiasm for the series.
Boarding the plane to pakistan for what promises to be a great series VS @TheRealPCB
— Sikandar Raza (@SRazaB24) May 17, 2015
Insha ALLAH all goes well for both teams and countries
All-rounder Sean Williams seemed a bit more concerned about the series, while Batsman Brendan Taylor wished his teammates best of luck for the tour.
Boarding plane to Pakistan shorty nervy times!!hopefully all goes well
— Sean Williams (@sean14williams) May 17, 2015
https://twitter.com/BrendanTaylor86/status/600014652777562112
Another batsman, Chamu Justice prayed for peace and safety.
https://twitter.com/chamulaw/status/599973317890744322
Zimbabwe Cricket Union's official account also tweeted pictures of the Pakistani community in Zimbabwe who gave the visitors a sendoff in order to show their solidarity with Pakistani fans.
The Pak community in Zim thronged the airport to give the boys a sendoff in solidarity #cricketthewinner @TheRealPCB pic.twitter.com/Mak3wAcFOn
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) May 18, 2015
Zimbabwe have left Harare for a high-stakes tour of Pakistan, national cricket association spokesman Lovemore Banda said Monday.
"The team has left (Harare)," Banda told AFP. "They are going (to Pakistan) via Dubai."
Since the attack on the Sri Lankans, Pakistan have staged 'home' matches in the United Arab Emirates.
(Additional input from AFP)
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